Can an R-rated comedy that draws big laughs still bring in outsized ticket sales at the box office?
Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings” will put that question to the test as the raunchy funny film opens over the weekend in 3,000 North American theaters, where it’s expected to earn a tepid $12 million in its debut.
That’s not a terrible result at a time in which theatrical comedies, especially of the R-rated variety, have become something of endangered species. But it also wouldn’t be a great start considering its star power, $45 million budget and prime June release date. Earlier this year, Universal’s wild R-rated “Cocaine Bear” opened to $23.2 million — and (with all due respect to the drugged-up grizzly) that film wasn’t headlined by one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Attendance at the domestic box office will be crucial for “No Hard Feelings” because broad comedies tend to have limited appeal with international audiences. Reviews may not move the needle. It holds a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writing “the film’s promise of risky business is little more than a big tease.” Other critics praised Lawrence as an actor “who’s never anything but watchable.”
A plus for Sony: “No Hard Feelings” doesn’t have competition until later in the summer, when Universal’s R-rated “Strays,” about a dog who is abandoned by his deadbeat owner, opens in August.
Studios have been revisiting the comedic genre to mixed results. Earlier this summer, Sony and Legendary’s “The Machine,” inspired by Bert Kreischer’s stand-up routine of the same name, flopped with $10 million globally. Billy Eichner’s raunchy “Bros” also misfired last year with just $14 million worldwide, while “Cocaine Bear” turned into a modest win with $87 million globally. Those films were less expensive than “No Hard Feelings,” with budgets of $22 million or less.
With PG-13 attempts, star-driven vehicles like Julia Roberts and George Clooney’s “Ticket to Paradise” and Sandra Bullock’s “The Lost City” had better success at connecting with moviegoers (with each eclipsing $150 million globally). Meanwhile, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco’s meet-the-parents style “About My Father” and stand-up Jo Koy’s dysfunctional family story “Easter Sunday” were largely ignored at the box office.
Gene Stupnitsky, one of the creative minds behind Amazon’s surreal comedy “Jury Duty,” co-wrote and directed “No Hard Feelings.” Lawrence plays a down-on-her-luck Uber driver who accepts a Craigslist ad to “date” an introverted 19-year-old boy (newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman) before he goes to college. Stupnitsky’s prior feature film, 2019’s R-rated comedy “Good Boys” starring Jacob Tremblay, opened in pre-pandemic times to $21 million. The charming coming-of-age film ended its theatrical run with a tidy $111 million worldwide.
Also this weekend, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is estimated to generate $7 million to $8 million when it expands into 1,500 venues. The comedic drama, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Maya Hawke, Bryan Cranston and dozens of other Anderson regulars and newcomers, opened in limited release with $790,000 — translating to a huge $132,211 per theater.
Elsewhere at the box office, holdovers of the DC comic book adventure “The Flash,” Pixar’s “Elemental” and Sony’s animated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will vie for first place in North America.
Based on early estimates, last weekend’s champion “The Flash” looks to retain the No. 1 spot. In its sophomore outing, the Ezra Miller-led standalone superhero story is aiming to add $22 million to $25 million, a decline of roughly 60% from its $55 million debut.
“Elemental,” which cemented a new low for Pixar with its $29 million start, is expected to bring in $14 million to $16 million in its second weekend, a 45-50% drop. And “Spider-Verse,” based on its current trajectory, is projected to score $13.5 million to $15 million in its fourth weekend of release. So far, the animated sequel has grossed $290 million in North America and $506 million globally.
